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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. object — an aim
  3. clip — for paper
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. object — to protest
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wax — to grow
  10. object — a thing
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. clip — a video
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fine — all right
  21. current — happening now
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fine — high quality
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com